Join OWAA

Thank you for your interest in becoming a member of OWAA. We welcome your request for an application.

Before printing and completing one of the membership applications (at right), please review the following:

• Membership Classifications
• Categories
• Criteria
• Fees

Any personal information provided will be used by Outdoor Writers Association of America for its own purposes only. It will not be provided to others. See our Privacy Policy.

Membership Classifications

Active

Members who fully meet the requirements for one or more categories of membership under the membership criteria.

Associate

Members who meet one half of the active requirements for membership in any category under the membership criteria.

Apprentice

Members who express the goal of becoming an associate or active member, but do not yet meet the membership criteria, and who agree to serve under the supervision of an active member mentor to accomplish that goal (membership in this category limited to three years.

Student

Members who are enrolled in an institution of higher learning, pursuing a course of study related to the outdoors and communications.

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Categories

• Newspaper staff writer/columnist/editor

• Still photographer

• Illustrator/cartoonist/artist

• Motion picture/videotape/audiotape production

• Electronic communications

• Full-time magazine staff member

• Free-lance magazine writer and/or part-time magazine staffer

• Book author/editor

• Lecturer

• Full-time information employee of nonprofit agency

• Employee of outdoor-related industry, agency, etc.

• Full-time Educator/Instructor

• Internet Communications

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Criteria

Below are listed the annual criteria for Active Membership. Requirements for Associate, Apprentice and Student Memberships are less stringent than those outlined here for Active Membership. Send evidence of publication and the Membership Screening Committee will place you in the correct classification of membership. 

A. Newspaper Writer, Columnist, Editor or Designer - Submit sample tearsheets or photocopies of 10 compensated articles published in the past 12 months. Include proof (official letter from supervisor or webmaster certifying your paid work) if bylines aren’t given. Include dates of publication, copy of newspaper masthead and/or Web site addresses. Syndicated or reprinted articles count as a single submission. Long features will be given additional consideration.

B. Still Photographer - Submit sample tearsheets or photocopies of 24 compensated photos published in the past 12 months. Include proof (official letter from editor or webmaster certifying your paid work) if credits aren’t given. Include dates and names of publications and/or Web site addresses. Works requiring unusual effort will be given additional consideration. Unpublished photos that are sold may be considered with proof of sale.

C. Illustrator, Cartoonist or Artist - Submit sample tearsheets or photocopies of six full-color compensated works, or 20 black-and-white compensated works, published in the past 12 months. Include proof (official letter from editor or webmaster certifying your paid work) if credits aren’t given. Include dates and names publications, and/or Web site addresses. Brochures and catalogs are not acceptable. Unpublished works that are sold may be considered with proof of sale.

D. Magazine Full-Time Editorial Staff Member - Submit one sample copy of printed magazine, or sample pages from online magazine, showing masthead listings. Include pertinent Web site addresses. Magazine must have a bona fide paid circulation, be available for sale at newsstands or similar outlets or be published online at a commercial site. No period of tenure required.

E. Magazine Freelance Writer, Editor, Publisher or Designer - Submit 12 sample tearsheets or photocopies of compensated work published and compensated in the past 12 months. Include proof (official letter from editor certifying your paid work) if credits aren’t given. Include dates and names of publications and/or Web site addresses. Fillers, briefs and short articles count for half credit. Syndicated or reprinted articles count as one submission.

F. Web Site Content Director, Writer, Editor, Photographer, Artist or Designer - Submit credentials from any single category or combination of categories listed above. Include publication dates, names and Web site addresses.

G. Film-Video-Audio Editor, Photographer, Scriptwriter, Director or Producer - Submit one sample copy of an income-producing film, video or audio production produced in the past 12 months. Include any brochures, newspaper or magazine clips, or other announcements of your paid work. Also include pertinent Web site addresses.

H. Broadcast (Television-Radio) Photographer, Scriptwriter, Editor, Director or Producer - Submit sample copy of one completed compensated show produced in the past 12 months. Include official letter from station manager certifying your paid work, along with your production schedule for the past year and pertinent Web site addresses. Guest appearances do not count.

I. Book Author, Editor, Designer or Publisher - Submit one sample copy of income-producing book produced in the past 12 months. A signed publishing contract for a book in progress counts as a published book. Works requiring unusual effort will be given additional consideration. Several booklets may be substituted for a single book, but promotional booklets for commercial enterprises are not acceptable. Multi-authorship will be equally prorated among all authors.

J. Lecturer - Submit itinerary including dates and estimated attendances of 36 compensated appearances in the past 12 months. Include sample copies of brochures, newspaper clips or other promotional materials and/or Web site addresses.

K. Educator or Instructor - Submit proof (official letter from employer) verifying compensated instruction of at least two quarter- or semester-length courses at an institute of higher learning, or 12 one-day courses for the general public, or eight weekend courses for the general public, in the past 12 months.

L. Full-time Information Employee of Non-profit Conservation or Recreation Agencies - Submit credentials from any category or combination of categories listed above (it is understood that non-profit publications may not have bona fide paid circulations; audiences may not be paying viewers, etc.). Alternatively, applicants may submit samples of press releases or media materials distributed in the past 12 months. Include proof (official letter certifying your paid work, involvement or supervisory responsibilities) if credits aren’t given. Include pertinent Web site addresses.

M. Employee of Outdoor-Related Industries, Agencies, Associations or Organizations (engaged in producing informative and educational material for use by the media): Submit credentials from any single or combination of categories listed above, along with pertinent Web site addresses. Associate membership is the highest-possible level for this category.

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Fees

Initiation Fees are one-time charges. 

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Member Benefits

• Exclusive Member Discounts
• Health Insurance
• Jobs/Editorial Listings
• Outdoors Unlimited
• Annual Conference
• Outdoor Marketplace
• Membership Directories
• Request a Membership List
• Excellence in Crafts Contests
• Tech-E Newsletter
• National Headquarters Assistance
• Scholarships
• Links to Individual Member Web Sites
• Web Site Links to Supporting Groups, Agencies and Business 

Be sure to check out the comprehensive listing of Membership Benefits.

Testimonials

“OWAA has the clout to provide access to major newsmakers in the world of outdoors at our conferences, giving writers access to many different sides of important issues. Whether you are a newspaper or magazine writer or a photographer, conference craft improvement sessions will help you further your career. And our Outdoors Unlimited publication provides numerous tips for any outdoor communicator including information for freelancers on what publications are buying. The yearly investment of joining OWAA pays numerous dividends to professionals.”

- Tom Wharton, Salt Lake Tribune & OWAA Past President

“I just wanted to drop a note to say what a wonderful day we at The Sportsman Channel had for our clay-shooting outing at OWAA’s conference in Madison, Wis. It went better than perfect! Everyone had a great time shooting clays and getting to know all. I hope the conference went just as smooth for everyone. Again, thank you for distributing our invitation and supporting our outing. We look forward to working more with the OWAA in the future!”

- Michelle Scheuermann,
Public Relations Manager,
The Sportsman Channel

"Having recently attended my first OWAA conference, I thought I would share a few impressions about the experience. I've wanted for years to attend an outdoor writers' conference—one attended by some of the best in the business—but I’d never had the opportunity. I wasn't disappointed with this one. I was able to meet many of the people behind the bylines in magazines I read. Every workshop I attended provided helpful information. From each session, I heard something that would improve my writing, develop into an article, or simply reinforced something I already practice. Was attending the conference a valuable experience? It certainly was. I'm looking forward to attending another."

- Andy Duffy,
Outdoor Writer/Columnist
for Cadillac News

"Just wanted to say that for me personally, the OWAA conference in Madison, Wis., was one of the better conferences, ever. I enjoyed several of the seminars, I got a lot of radio interviews done, and I actually contracted a radio sponsor at Breakout Day. In my book, OWAA is alive and well!"

- Wade Bourne,
full-time outdoor writer/broadcaster/photographer and host of “Ducks Unlimited TV” on OLN

"As the representative of MapCard/myTopo.com, I thoroughly enjoyed the annual meeting [in Madison, Wis. 2006]. The conference exceeded our expectations. It was nice to not just meet but actually get to know so many influential writers and industry leaders. You struck a nice balance between structured and unstructured activities. We had plenty of opportunities to make friends, establish professional relationships and promote our products. And, in the process, learn a lot about the issues impacting our industry, and the important work being done by OWAA members to communicate these issues to the public."

- Paige Darden, Representative of www.MyTopo.com and MapCard

“OWAA’s conferences always offer a wide range of opportunity. The networking at a conference is huge, and you get out what you put in. I have continued working relationships with supporting groups, agencies and businesses that I got to meet, eat with and become friends with at OWAA conferences. Outdoors Unlimited always has great information. Market news is a perfect place to hunt for some freelance work or even a full-time job, or just get some tax tips or craft improvement ideas. A membership in OWAA is worth its weight in gold, no matter what your form of currency, cash, contacts, friendships or self improvement.”

- Ron Tussel, producer/host, “The Pennsylvania Sportsman

"Being an OWAA supporting business has really helped us to spread the word about our nature-related books. From our best-selling Peterson Field Guides to books like "The Grail Bird," and other outdoor adventure titles, OWAA has given us immediate access to the most important journalists in the field."

- Taryn Roeder, Assistant Director of Publicity,
Houghton Mifflin Company